"We are the only country in history that ever deliberately changed its ethnic makeup, and history has few examples of 'diversity' creating a stable society." - Richard Lamm, former governor of Colorado

Friday, June 08, 2007

A former British Army commander has said there was no way the war in Iraq could be won and that allied forces should withdraw

General Sir Michael Rose, a former commander of the UN peace force in Bosnia during the 1990s, said the American and British forces in Iraq were in an impossible situation.

"There is no way we are going to win the war and [we should] withdraw and accept defeat because we are going to lose on a more important level if we don't," he said.

While accepting the allied forces couldn't just "cut and run", Sir Michael said announcing a date for withdrawal would quell widespread fighting between the Sunnis, Shias and Kurds.

Sir Michael made the comments at the Hay Literary festival in Wales while speaking about his book, Washington's War.

The former SAS commander also said he rang and congratulated Sir Richard Dannatt, the Chief of General Staff, for saying in October of last year that UK troops in Iraq were "exacerbating the security problems" facing Britain around the world, and must leave "soon".